Chinese online seller Temu scraps Vietnamese language option over licensing issues

Users this week noticed that the app no longer supports Vietnamese and the only languages available are English, Chinese and French.

The platform also has a notice saying it is working with authorities to "register its provision of e-commerce services in Vietnam."

The logo of Temu, an e-commerce platform owned by PDD Holdings, is seen on a mobile phone displayed in front of its website, in this illustration picture taken April 26, 2023. Photo by Reuters

Vietnamese law requires e-commerce platforms to register if they sell in Vietnamese or have over 100,000 transactions a year in the country.

"Without Vietnamese as a display language [Temu does not have to register] and will not be subject to Vietnamese laws, the same as cross-border platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba," the Vietnam e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency told VnExpress.

"This means it is no longer illegal in Vietnam."

Vietnamese customers can still buy on Temu. But the platform requires the checkout value to be VND887,000-1 million (US$35-40), an amount that discourages many locals from buying.

A Ministry of Industry and Trade official said Temu is working with the e-commerce agency to register, but the process typically takes a long time.